First, now is the time to get a flu shot if you haven’t gotten one already. Flu is spreading in some southern and western states. Holiday travel will bring it here. Don’t delay. That said, I got the bill for the COVID-19 shot I had last month. Or rather, I got a record of the […]
Environment & Health
Posted inBusiness
CVS Health tops Q3 forecasts but absorbs hefty charge for struggling clinic business
By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer CVS Health rode double-digit sales growth from drugstores and its pharmacy benefits management business to a better-than-expected third quarter. The health care giant also hiked its 2025 forecast well above Wall Street estimates. But it booked a nearly $6-billion charge in the quarter for scaling back a care delivery […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News
State officials warn public to avoid Upper Melville Pond due to harmful algae bloom
State health and environmental officials are urging the public to stay away from Upper Melville Pond after confirming a harmful cyanobacteria bloom in the Portsmouth waterbody. The Rhode Island Department of Health and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management issued the advisory Monday, warning that swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking pose health risks at the […]
Posted inColumns
Dr. Michael Fine: What’s crazy about COVID-19 and the flu vaccine now
I had a COVID-19 vaccine last week. I’m traveling in 10 days and wanted to make sure I don’t get sick when I’m traveling. Better safe than sorry – better jabbed than stuck in a hotel room for five extra days, unable to go out. Or hospitalized. The COVID-19 vaccine was easy to get and […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
UPDATE: Newport’s Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 25 canceled due to government shutdown
Newport’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, scheduled for Oct. 25, has been canceled due to the federal government shutdown, according to the Newport Prevention Coalition. Melanie Saunders, coordinator of the Newport Prevention Coalition, confirmed the cancellation in a message sent Thursday morning. “I was informed on Tuesday that Drug Take Back Day, originally scheduled […]
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Dr. Michael Fine: Three things that are smart, not crazy, about health care
Three logical, smart, and hopeful things happened in health care in the past few weeks. I’m glad to be able to tell you about them. The first good thing is that the Rhode Island Department of Health joined Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York to form the Northeast Public Health […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News, People & Profiles
Breast cancer cases increase, while the death rate decreases
More than 1,100 women in Rhode Island and more than 316,000 women nationally will be diagnosed by the end of this year with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. That diagnosis will present what will seem for many insurmountable physical and emotional challenges. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we caught up […]
Posted inColumns, Environment & Health
Helen Hames: Access to quality care, a shared responsibility
Today, more than 24,00 Rhode Islanders over the age of 65 are living with some form of dementia. That’s one in eight older adults. The BOLD Act, signed into law in 2018, positioned Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as a public health issue, not just a private family struggle. It provided states like Rhode Island with […]
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Dr. Michael Fine: What’s crazy about public health and gun violence
Crazy might not be the right word. Heartbreaking or heartrending would be better. But even heartrending isn’t strong enough. In these United States, our rate of gun death is 4.42 deaths per 100,000 population, the sixth highest in the world – but many times the rate in other developed nations. Of developed nations, only Greece, Austria, […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News
RIDOH issues 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations
The Rhode Island Department of Health has recommended the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine for most Rhode Islanders 6 months of age and older to protect against serious illness from COVID-19, according to a department announcement. “COVID-19 vaccine can help prevent serious illness and hospitalization, and it is an important tool to support our healthcare system as […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News
Trump has crushed offshore wind plans, but states haven’t quite given up hope
by Alex Brown, StatelineSeptember 16, 2025 As President Donald Trump wages an all-out assault on offshore wind projects, state leaders face a dilemma: Do they pull the plug on offshore wind and look for other ways to meet their fast-growing energy needs? Or do they double down on their investments, in hopes of helping the […]
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Dr. Michael Fine: What’s crazy about COVID-19 in the fall of 2025
We are in the middle of a COVID uptick. These upticks now happen a few times a year. It will likely be a few more years before COVID-19 infections settle into a more stable pattern, like influenza, so it is worth commenting when an uptick happens, so people know what to expect and how to plan. […]
Posted inCity & Government, Environment & Health
McKee ensures COVID-19 vaccine access as federal guidance shifts
Gov. Dan McKee announced immediate measures Thursday to guarantee continued access to COVID-19 vaccines for all Rhode Islanders over 6 months old, responding to federal policy changes that have created uncertainty around vaccine availability. The governor directed the Rhode Island Department of Health and Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner to issue a bulletin requiring […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News
State health officials issue advisory for Portsmouth pond due to toxic algae bloom
State health and environmental officials are advising residents to avoid all contact with Lower Melville Pond after confirming the presence of a harmful cyanobacteria bloom that can cause serious health problems in humans and pets. The Rhode Island Department of Health and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management issued the advisory Friday, warning that swimming, […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport to host third community forum on state’s coastal resilience plan
Newport will serve as the venue for the third community forum dedicated to Rhode Island’s statewide coastal resilience plan 2025, offering residents a chance to help shape the state’s response to rising seas and extreme weather. The forum is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Newport Library, located at 300 Spring St. […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News
Scientists tap ‘secret’ fresh water under the ocean, raising hopes for a thirsty world
By CALVIN WOODWARD, CAROLYN KASTER and RODRIQUE NGOWI Associated Press ABOARD LIFTBOAT ROBERT, North Atlantic (AP) — Deep in Earth’s past, an icy landscape became a seascape as the ice melted and the oceans rose off what is now the northeastern United States. Nearly 50 years ago, a U.S. government ship searching for minerals and […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, History, Sports
On This Day In Newport History – August 27, 1995: Tiger Woods Wins 1995 U.S. Amateur Championship in Newport
In celebration of the U.S. Amateur Championship centennial, the Newport Country Club hosted the 1995 U.S. Amateur Championship. At age 19, Tiger Woods became the ninth player to win back-to-back Amateur championships when he defeated Buddy Marucci on August 27th at the 1995 US Amateur at Newport Country Club. Following an outstanding amateur and two-year college golf […]
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Rhode Island health officials close two Middletown beaches due to high bacteria levels
The Rhode Island Department of Health on Tuesday recommended closing swimming areas at two Middletown beaches due to elevated bacteria levels that pose health risks to swimmers. Third Beach and Peabody’s Beach were added to the state’s beach closure list after water samples showed bacteria counts exceeding safe swimming standards, according to a RIDOH press […]
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King Park Beach, Fort Adams Beach reopen after brief bacteria closure
The Rhode Island Department of Health announced Sunday that King Park Beach and Fort Adams Beach in Newport have reopened for swimming after bacteria levels returned to safe standards. Both beaches were closed to swimming on Thursday, Aug. 22, due to elevated bacteria counts that exceeded state safety thresholds. The closures lasted two days before […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News
Rhode Island health officials close Newport beach due to high bacteria
The Rhode Island Department of Health recommended closing the swimming area at Spouting Rock Beach Association on Tuesday due to high bacteria counts that pose health risks to swimmers. The closure affects only water activities at the Newport beach facility, which remains open to the public for other uses. Health officials will continue monitoring water […]
Posted inCity & Government
State health officials reopen Easton’s Beach for swimming
The Rhode Island Department of Health announced Tuesday that Easton’s Beach in Newport has been cleared for swimming after bacteria levels returned to safe standards. The popular Newport beach was closed to swimmers on Aug. 15 due to elevated bacteria counts but reopened Tuesday after a four-day closure, according to RIDOH officials. The department monitors […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health, News
Two Newport beaches reopen as Easton’s Beach remains closed
Two Newport beaches have been cleared for swimming after bacteria levels returned to safe ranges, though Easton’s Beach remains closed due to ongoing water quality concerns. The Rhode Island Department of Health announced Saturday that Spouting Rock Beach Association and Gooseberry Beach have been reopened to swimmers. Both beaches were closed Thursday after testing revealed […]
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Helen Hames: Elder Abuse – The silent epidemic
The silently simmering epidemic of elder abuse has drawn together a powerful coalition of organizations determined to turn up the volume–raising awareness and driving action. Earlier this week, representatives from the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI), the Rhode Island Coalition for Elder Justice (RICEJ), the Rhode Island State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Office, St. Elizabeth […]
Posted inCity & Government
Two Newport beaches closed due to high bacteria levels
The Rhode Island Department of Health has recommended closing swimming areas at two Newport beaches due to high bacteria counts, officials announced Thursday. The Spouting Rock Beach Association, known as Bailey’s Beach, and Gooseberry Beach are affected by the closure recommendation, according to the state health department. Bailey’s Beach is a private member-owned club, while […]
Posted inCity & Government
First West Nile Virus detection reported in Rhode Island this year
Rhode Island health officials confirmed the first detection of West Nile virus in the state this year after finding the mosquito-borne illness in a sample collected in East Providence. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and Rhode Island Department of Health announced Wednesday that the virus was discovered in a mosquito sample collected July […]